1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally involves the field of technology pertaining to refrigerated cabinets. More specifically, the invention relates to the structure of a refrigerated cabinet wherein a condenser tube yoder loop is provided adjacent the mullion bar and external metal flanges of the cabinet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional refrigerator is usually defined by insulated freezer and fresh food compartments which are disposed in either a side-by-side or top mount configuration. In constructing the refrigerator cabinet, a single integrally molded liner may be used for defining the general interior storage space of a cabinet. An insulated partition is inserted into the liner to divide the storage space into the separate freezer and fresh food compartments, with the assembled liner and partition being thereafter inserted into the metal outer shell of the cabinet. Insulation is disposed in the wall space between the liner and outer shell. In some cases, the liner and portions of the partition may also be integrally molded.
A refrigerator cabinet having such freezer and fresh food compartments is usually provided with a yoder loop defined by hot refrigerant gas tubing located around the cabinet shell access opening with the yoder loop having one end connected to the outlet of the refrigerant condenser and the loop gas exit connected to a refrigerant filter and thereafter to the evaporator section through a capillary supply tube extending through a suction conduit. The yoder loop is disposed with a metal mullion bar and external flanges of the outer shell in order to provide the refrigerator cabinet with an inexpensive and efficient heat transfer, whereby the heat of condensation of the hot refrigerant gas is used to prevent condensation of moisture adjacent the front door openings of the freezer and fresh food compartments. The external flanges of the outer shell form a continuous extension of the mullion bar, the latter extending along the front of the partition.
However, the metal mullion bar and outer shell flanges surrounding the openings of the freezer and fresh food compartments are normally exposed to the refrigerated temperatures of the compartments, thus resulting in a large amount of undesirable heat transfer from the warm metal surfaces into the respective compartments. Since the mullion bar and corresponding outer shell flanges of the freezer compartment are exposed to a temperature of 0.degree. F. and the mullion bar and corresponding outer shell flanges of the fresh food compartment are exposed to a temperature of 38.degree. F., it is apparent that this undesirable heat transfer imposes an additional load on the central refrigeration system. This situation results in inefficiency in the operation of the refrigerator and consequent increased cost of operation.